In India there are two types of corrupt officials: one those who have been found to be corrupt and resign/leave/sacked from the job, and the other who even after being found out about their special liking for unearned luxury continues with the job, even to the extent they are promoted/ tenure increased or given some other posting.

One such official is V.K. Sibal, the Director General Hydrocarbons, who is ‘suspected’ to have extended special favours to RIL, as he increased the capital expenditure plan for KG Basin from $2.4 billion to $8.8 billion in 2006, without taking permission from Comptroller and Accountant General (CAG); though he asserts that he took permission but CAG denies it and until now Mr. Sibal has failed in proving his point, though he wants us to take his words as the proof enough.

In Corporate world there are no free lunches, but Mr. Sibal wants us not to believe in the rule and see the philanthropy of the RIL behind the arrangement for his daughters to have luxuriant stay in Reliance Guest Houses.

Sonia Sibal, the elder daughter, stayed at a VIP guesthouse of RIL — Dalal House — from July to November 2005. What an apt name for the house! Priya Sibal, another daughter also enjoyed a stay in the guesthouse for a month before shifting to another guesthouse of the company.

Continuing the patronage, Priya moved out of RIL’s guesthouse and shifted to a spacious 3BHK flat in Avalon at Hiranandani Gardens, Powai which was indirectly owned by RIL, and run by its officials. They also personally ensured that all kinds of amenities befitting a daughter of Mr. Sibal are given and arranged.

But stay in guest house doesn’t justify the work done by the Mr. Sibal, and maybe that is why the company also arranged for a Maybe all this wasn’t enough for the great service done by Mr. Sibal to the company and Priya was moved from Avalon after 18 months of stay to another flat in Oshimara, Andheri West, purchased at a cost of Rs 1.7 crore.

Though Mr. Sibal maintains that he didn’t favour RIL in exchange.

The Pioneer Newspaper sought VK Sibal’s response with regard to the allegations. This is his response:

“My daughter, Priya was staying in various locations in Mumbai since the year 2001. She was staying in a private accommodation in Kalina, Mumbai, in the year 2005. However, during the floods in Mumbai, the area she was staying got flooded due to which she went missing for 2 days and had to shift to an apartment located on higher grounds for a few days as a stop-gap emergency measure.

My daughter Sonia was studying in the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, during the period 2004-07 and was staying in a hostel.

My daughter Priya had a lease agreement with the party for the flat in Hiranandani referred by you for which advance was also paid. An amount of Rs 3 lakh and utility charges of Rs 3,000 per month was paid. She stayed off and on with her friend in the same accommodation.

Necessary documentary evidence in support of this is available with us. Notwithstanding the fact that this is a bona fide arrangement, it is surprising that you should allege that favours have been taken from RIL. If these allegations were true, there would not have been any need to pay the advance or the utility charges to the owner. Contrary to your allegation that favors were taken from RIL, a penalty was imposed on RIL during the period October-November 2006 amounting to approximately Rs 89 crore against unfinished work programme in their petroleum exploration acreages, details of which are available with us.

I do not understand as to why you should link purely official responsibilities with bona fide personal dealings. I am sure that you can understand the hidden agenda of the people behind these allegations and propaganda.

The story has been circulated among the media surreptitiously by vested interests. It is surprising that a well-known newspaper should fall prey to the machinations of a vested interest. Despite the above clarifications, if you still want to publish the story, it will be even more obvious that a section of the media has been pressurised or influenced by an interested party.”

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